Today’s Gatewood goes to . . . Eric Cantor
by David Safier [NOTE: I created The Gatewood in honor of Henry Gatewood, the banker in John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach" who ran off with $50,000 in payroll money and said, while clutching the satchel full of stolen money, Advertisement "'America for Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is … Read more
Unemployed man-of-the-people Mitt Romney to expand home
by David Safier I always loved the stories of John McCain's too-many-to-count homes during the 2008 election. Mitt Romney looks like he's destined to follow in McCain's real estate footprints. Romney owns a modest 3000 square foot home in Southern California. Where in SoCal, you ask? In La Jolla — oceanfront property. He bought it … Read more
My thoughts on current trends in education (almost) exactly
by David Safier There's a new book out trashing teachers' unions and singing the praises of charters — Steve Brill's "Class Warfare." I haven't read it, but it sounds like it sings the same old "education reform" tune. Sara Mosle reviewed the book in the NY Times Book Review, taking apart its premises beautifully, using … Read more
Stegeman to be ousted as Board President?
by David Safier The TUSD board will consider removing Mark Stegeman as president. Even if he's ousted, he'll still be on the board, of course. I think the ouster would be a good move, even though the replacement may not be much of an improvement, and Stegeman is scheduled to end his tour as president … Read more
Lobbying at AIRC meetings
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I spent the weekend speaking to individuals who are preparing to file a complaint this week about unregistered lobbyists who have been at every AIRC public hearing pressuring commissioners and even badgering members of the public. Things may get interesting. For a taste of what this is about, Steve Muratore has a … Read more
Emily Litella testifies to the AIRC
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: One of my favorite Saturday Night Live characters was Gilda Radner's hard-of-hearing Emily Litella, who would read a rebuttal to a Weekend Update editorial that demonstrated she had not understood any of what she thought she had heard, and when her error was explained to her by the Weekend Update anchor (Chevy … Read more
It takes a village (including a high school counselor)
by David Safier Ernesto Portillo wrote one of those slice-of-life columns he does so well in the Sunday Star. It's about a kid named David Yebra, who is actually no longer a kid. He's a 43 year old army Lt. Colonel, "a 1990 graduate of West Point, [who] was named the 2011 United States Army … Read more
